shoulder blade. He really hoped the tat artist’s hands remained where they ought to. He wasn’t looking for another fight.
“Is your name Nick spelled as in N-i-c-k?” She craned her neck to look past Vinny’s bulk. It was blocking her view. She almost dropped her drink when she saw Nic pulling off his shirt, revealing tanned, well-defined chest and arms. His jeans were riding a bit low on his hips, framing flat washboard abs . Oh, mio Dio! She took another sip of her drink to fortify herself against the lust−inducing display. Would anyone notice if she discreetly rubbed the cold, moist vodka bottle against her neck to cool her off?
“N-i-c.” Mike was wiping some antiseptic on one of his biceps. He cocked an eyebrow at her question.
Vinny made her lie prone on the chair, which had magically straightened out like a bed. Nic was across her, just a few feet away. She turned her head towards him, her hands pillowing her cheek. “I have to make sure Vinny gets the spelling right.”
“The spelling?” His head shot up and electric blue eyes pinned her with lightning intensity as he quickly understood the import of her words. So this is what smoldering looks like , Lexie thought with a hint of hysteria. She was unable to look away from Nic. Her whole body felt hot and heavy, so much so that the first prick of the needle didn’t bother her too much. Her nipples were poking into the cushion of the chair. She started to feel overheated and moist down under.
“Don’t move,” Vinny admonished when she squeezed her legs tighter. Oh, God, I am so going to get it later. Oddly, the thought didn’t send her into a panic. She was filled with breathless anticipation. She had closed her eyes to block out Nic’s gorgeousness from burning her retina but when she opened them, he was raking his blue eyes all over her body in a way that made her boneless. He stroked his lip with his forefinger, and Lexie bit on hers to stop from moaning.
“Stop it,” she croaked, and the activity on her shoulder blade ceased. “Not you,” she ground out over her shoulder to Vinny. “Him!”
Nic smothered a laugh, not minding Mike’s needle. The man was clearly enjoying himself at her expense. Lexie decided it was payback time. She caught his eye and deliberately made a show of dragging her gaze down all over his body until she settled on the area between his legs. In disbelief, the wicked man splayed his limbs even wider, making himself more comfortable. She gave a small gasp of faux outrage when she saw the bulge in his crotch. With a huff, as much as she could do anyway without Vinny complaining she was moving too much, she turned her face away. But not before she saw the amused gleam in his electric blues that had her smiling like an idiot until Vinny was done with her.
----
N ic insisted on paying for their tats even though she was secretly a modern royal and carried money with her, unlike Stefan, who delegated everything to his personal secretary. She gave in graciously. Everything was rosy in her alcohol-induced buzz.
“Show me your tattoo,” Lexie demanded. They stepped out of the shop as the taxi they called in pulled up by the curb. Nic pulled up his right sleeve. “Rojita,” she read, trying to make out the letters written in beautiful cursive. Then understanding dawned. “It means little red one,” she translated, suddenly short of breath. She touched her wig involuntarily.
He smiled in amazement. “You know Spanish?”
She nodded. “It was a requirement. I had to learn four languages as a child−” she broke off, suddenly remembering she was a different person tonight. Nic’s smile faltered and his expression became shuttered.
“Let’s get out of here.”
There was a definite chill inside the cab. Lexie suddenly felt awkward as the driver asked for their destination. Nic’s eyes were glittering even in the dim interior. When she refused to say anything, he said evenly, “The Bellagio.”
“Nic.” She
“Is your name Nick spelled as in N-i-c-k?” She craned her neck to look past Vinny’s bulk. It was blocking her view. She almost dropped her drink when she saw Nic pulling off his shirt, revealing tanned, well-defined chest and arms. His jeans were riding a bit low on his hips, framing flat washboard abs . Oh, mio Dio! She took another sip of her drink to fortify herself against the lust−inducing display. Would anyone notice if she discreetly rubbed the cold, moist vodka bottle against her neck to cool her off?
“N-i-c.” Mike was wiping some antiseptic on one of his biceps. He cocked an eyebrow at her question.
Vinny made her lie prone on the chair, which had magically straightened out like a bed. Nic was across her, just a few feet away. She turned her head towards him, her hands pillowing her cheek. “I have to make sure Vinny gets the spelling right.”
“The spelling?” His head shot up and electric blue eyes pinned her with lightning intensity as he quickly understood the import of her words. So this is what smoldering looks like , Lexie thought with a hint of hysteria. She was unable to look away from Nic. Her whole body felt hot and heavy, so much so that the first prick of the needle didn’t bother her too much. Her nipples were poking into the cushion of the chair. She started to feel overheated and moist down under.
“Don’t move,” Vinny admonished when she squeezed her legs tighter. Oh, God, I am so going to get it later. Oddly, the thought didn’t send her into a panic. She was filled with breathless anticipation. She had closed her eyes to block out Nic’s gorgeousness from burning her retina but when she opened them, he was raking his blue eyes all over her body in a way that made her boneless. He stroked his lip with his forefinger, and Lexie bit on hers to stop from moaning.
“Stop it,” she croaked, and the activity on her shoulder blade ceased. “Not you,” she ground out over her shoulder to Vinny. “Him!”
Nic smothered a laugh, not minding Mike’s needle. The man was clearly enjoying himself at her expense. Lexie decided it was payback time. She caught his eye and deliberately made a show of dragging her gaze down all over his body until she settled on the area between his legs. In disbelief, the wicked man splayed his limbs even wider, making himself more comfortable. She gave a small gasp of faux outrage when she saw the bulge in his crotch. With a huff, as much as she could do anyway without Vinny complaining she was moving too much, she turned her face away. But not before she saw the amused gleam in his electric blues that had her smiling like an idiot until Vinny was done with her.
----
N ic insisted on paying for their tats even though she was secretly a modern royal and carried money with her, unlike Stefan, who delegated everything to his personal secretary. She gave in graciously. Everything was rosy in her alcohol-induced buzz.
“Show me your tattoo,” Lexie demanded. They stepped out of the shop as the taxi they called in pulled up by the curb. Nic pulled up his right sleeve. “Rojita,” she read, trying to make out the letters written in beautiful cursive. Then understanding dawned. “It means little red one,” she translated, suddenly short of breath. She touched her wig involuntarily.
He smiled in amazement. “You know Spanish?”
She nodded. “It was a requirement. I had to learn four languages as a child−” she broke off, suddenly remembering she was a different person tonight. Nic’s smile faltered and his expression became shuttered.
“Let’s get out of here.”
There was a definite chill inside the cab. Lexie suddenly felt awkward as the driver asked for their destination. Nic’s eyes were glittering even in the dim interior. When she refused to say anything, he said evenly, “The Bellagio.”
“Nic.” She
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